NON FICTION ARage for Order: The Middle East in Turmoil, from Tahrir Square to Isis by Robert F. Worth An excellent first-hand reporting of the Arab Spring, from the early days in Tunisia and Egypt in 2011 through the tragic aftermath, particularly in Syria, through 2015. What happened and why. For teens interested in world affairs. America's Great Game: The CIA'S Secret Arabists and the Shaping of the Modern Middle East by Hugh Wilford How America got involved in the politics of the Middle East (1940s-1960s): this clear, in-depth accounting will be of interest to advanced teen readers with a particular interest in foreign affairs. Excellent Daughters: The Secret Lives of the Young Women Who Are Transforming the Arab World by Katherine Zoepf For teens interested in travel and the wider world, there is no better book than this one for getting to know how girls in Arab countries live. For mid to older teens. Killing a King: The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Remaking of Israelby Dan Ephron Kudos to Dan Ephron for giving us this concise account of the complexities of Israel that resulted in the one and only assassination of a Prime Minister and by one of their own. For all teens interested in international affairs and politics. Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle Eastby Scott Anderson Advanced teen readers who like history will enjoy this highly readable and fascinating story of WWI and the beginnings of today's Middle East. My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israelby Ari Shavit Born in Israel, living in Israel, and willing to die for Israel, center-left journalist Ari Shavit has written an immensely illuminating and personal account of the history of the State of Israel. Mature teen readers with an interest in international politics will enjoy this book. No Good Men Among the Living: America, The Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes by Anand Gopal Gopal moved to Afghanistan in 2008 and spent four years looking at America's longest war through the eyes of the Afghans.. His story is clear, well-written and a fine example of the value of excellent journalism. This would be a good book for a mature teen with an interest in foreign service. However, it is a harsh and heartbreaking story: teens who already have a sense of world realities will handle it best. Older Brotherby Mahir Guven Pumpkinflowers: A Soldiers Story by Matti Friedman A young Israeli soldier serves his country on a hilltop outpost bordering Lebanon in the late 1990s. A beautifully written memoir that captures the experience of a soldier at the onset of what has become today's style of military conflict. For all mature teens. The Return: Fathers, Sons, and the Land in Between by Hisham Matar The author's father crosses the dictator Qaddafi's regime in Libya and moves his family to Egypt for safety. When Hisham is nineteen and in school in England, his father is kidnapped and disappears into Qaddafi's prison. Twenty two years later after the fall of Qaddafi, he returns. Excellent for a modern history of Libya. For mature teens interested in international events. Thirteen Days in September by Lawrence Wright In September 1978, the leaders of Egypt, Israel, and the United States spent thirteen days in Camp David trying to work out a peace agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbors. As in his other books of interest to teens, The Looming Tower and Going Clear, Wright makes a complex history clear and fascinating. Nearly forty years later, peace is still elusive in this conflict, and will be a central issue for novice world citizens in the years to come. For advanced teen readers with an interest in history, politics, and diplomacy. FICTION A Good Country by Laleh Khadivi A Muslim boy grows up in California, becomes radicalized, and finds his way to Syria to join Isis. For mature teens with a curiosity about fitting in amidst cultural alienation, as well as global issues. The Blind Man's Gardenby Nadeem Aslam A tragic and bitingly beautiful book, this page-turner tells the story of an extended Pakistani family at the outset of America's War on Terror. At its core, it is a story about the un-extinguishable bright light of human decency flickering amidst a maelstrom of brutality, hate, deception, cruelty, corruption, and ignorance. For the sophisticated, older teen reader with a clear eye for truths of the wider world.